Roman Catholic Church
See Also: Churches in Vista City Churches Outside Vista City The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian denomination, reporting more than a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments, exercising charity, and controlling your sex life. The Catholic Church is among the oldest continuous institutions in the world and has played a prominent role in the history of Western civilization, however it has not always been a positive one. It teaches that it is the one true Church, (just like all the other one true churches) founded by Jesus Christ, that its bishops are the successors of Christ's apostles and that the Pope is the successor to Saint Peter. Catholic doctrine maintains that the Church is infallible when it dogmatically teaches a doctrine of faith or morals. (The problem with being infallible is when you're wrong, you can't admit it.) Catholic worship is centered on the Eucharist in which the Church teaches that the consecrated bread and wine at Mass are supernaturally transubstantiated into the actual body and blood of Christ. The Church holds the Blessed Virgin Mary in special regard. Catholic beliefs concerning Mary include her primeval existence during God's plan of creation, Immaculate Conception and exemption from the original sin of Adam & Eve, her physical and spiritual state of extraordinary grace, her pregnancy by the Holy Spirit, her divine motherhood to Jesus Christ, her bodily Assumption and coronation into heaven at the end of her earthly life. And they only have one god, remember that. Organization The Church's hierarchy is headed by the Bishop of Rome, the pope, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church (which is composed of the Latin Rite and the Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the see of Rome). The current office-holder is Pope Benedict XVI, who was elected in a papal conclave on 19 April 2005. The office of the pope is known as the Papacy. His ecclesiastical jurisdiction is often called the "Holy See" (Sancta Sedes in Latin), or the "Apostolic See" (meaning the see of the Apostle Saint Peter). Directly serving the Pope is the Roman Curia, the central governing body that administers the day-to-day business of the Catholic Church. The pope is also head of state of Vatican City State, a sovereign city-state entirely enclaved within the city of Rome. Dioceses, parishes and religious orders Individual countries, regions, or major cities are served by local particular churches known as dioceses or eparchies, each overseen by a Catholic bishop. Each diocese is united with one of the worldwide "sui iuris" particular churches, such as the Latin Church, or one of the many Eastern Catholic Churches. As of 2008, the Catholic Church (both East and West) comprised 2,795 dioceses. The bishops in a particular country or region are often organized into an episcopal conference, which aids in maintaining a uniform style of worship and coordination of social justice programs within the areas served by member bishops. Dioceses are further divided into numerous individual communities called parishes, each staffed by one or more priests, deacons, and/or lay ecclesiastical ministers. Parishes are responsible for the day to day celebration of the sacraments and pastoral care of the Catholic laity. Ordained Catholics, as well as members of the laity, may enter into consecrated life as brothers or sisters. A candidate takes vows confirming their desire to follow the three evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience. Examples of institutes of consecrated life are the Benedictines, the Carmelites, the Dominicans, the Franciscans, the Missionaries of Charity, and the Sisters of Mercy. Politics Gender Issues Soon after the close of Vatican Council II, Church teachings about sexuality became an issue of increasing controversy due to changing cultural attitudes in Europe and the United States. In his encyclical Humanae Vitae (1968), Pope Paul VI rejected all artificial contraception, although he generously permitted the regulation of births by means of natural family planning (Cross your legs and don't), contradicting those voices in the Church that saw at the time the birth control pill as an ethically justifiable method of contraception. This teaching was continued especially by John Paul II in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae, where he decried contraception as making sex too easy. After all with world population reaching 7 billion we need more babies. It is noted that this "teaching is observed mainly in the breach in Europe and the Americas. Because most women object to being told how to handle their bodies by a celibate man in a dress. Efforts in support of the ordination of women led to several rulings by the Roman Curia or Pope against the proposal, as in 1976 (Declaration on the Question of the Admission of Women to the Ministerial Priesthood), 1988 (Mulieris Dignitatem), and 1994 (O''rdinatio Sacerdotalis''). According to the latest ruling found in Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, then Pope John Paul II concluded, "I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful." In defiance of these rulings, opposition groups such as Roman Catholic Womenpriests have performed alleged ordination ceremonies for women, claiming the aid of a Catholic bishop in performing the rites. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith responded by issuing a statement clarifying that any Catholic bishops involved in ordination ceremonies for women, as well as the women themselves if they were Catholic, would automatically receive the penalty of excommunication, citing canon 1378 of the Canon Law and other church laws. Sex abuse cases In the 1990s and 2000s, the issue of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy became the subject of media coverage, legal action and public debate in the United States, and other countries. The Church was criticized for its handling of abuse complaints when it became known that many bishops had shielded accused priests, transferring them to other pastoral assignments where some continued to commit sexual offenses. In response to the scandal, the Church has established formal procedures to prevent abuse, encourage reporting of any abuse that occurs and to handle such reports promptly. Groups representing victims have disputed their effectiveness with good cause. This matter has decidedly tossed all Church teaching on gender in the blender. If priests cannot be trusted to hew to the rules are the rules really hewable to? Should they be? The hypocrisy of homosexual pedophiles teaching married people not to have sex and people to not be gay has not been lost on the general public. It is a huge hole in Church authority. Aliens In 2003 the Aliens came to Earth. Galan an Ane landed on the White House lawn. With one hoof on the grass she changed everything forever. Earth was not alone. In 2008 the Warp Drive Project rescued six Vulcans from their disabled craft. There were more aliens. That year the local Ane came out. Aliens had been living on Earth all along. More and more alien people became evident at the The Trial for Peoplehood when the world saw well over a dozen kinds of people. Humans were not alone and not so special a creation. Other than an encyclical Donec Vitae Magna affirming the peoplehood of beings other than Humans the church has been silent on other matters of Alien creatures. It has welcome all beings in the brotherhood of the church, with so far no takers. It is known that Pope Benedict XVI met with Ane in a long private conference shortly after they came out. No mission to the alien peoples has been announced. Cardinal Robert Callaghan who met with the secretive head of the Greyhawke delegation during that trial quit the curie shortly thereafter and was last seen entering a tightly cloistered Franciscan monastery. The Vatican has signed the Sentient Rights Agreement, agreeing in principle with the ideas of the document but expressing displeasure with the clearly anti religious clauses that are included. They are chided for trying to do what they chide others for doing; picking which doctrines they will and will not follow. As they tell the congregation, all the doctrine or none of it. It's doesn't go down the holy craw very well. Catholic Church in the Game Bishop of Rome (Da Pope) *'Pope Benedict XVI --' Headquartered in Rome. St. Peter's Basilica, largest church in Christidom. Extremely conservative dogmatically, too concerned with pelvic matters, but pro science. Apolitical except to push pro dogma legislation. Tis said that the Jews invented guilt, but the Catholics perfected it. Vista City Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church Cathedral of St. Peter & St. Paul Spanish style, built on the site of an old Mission. *'Bishop William Scorsazy --' The man is unflappable, and takes the weird in stride along with everything else. The Bishop is a middle heavy man with heavy eyebrow, water blue eyes, a largish nose, and wry grin. The Bishop was felled by Angel song and light during the Healing Wave. His own eyesight was returned to normal. In the Know, Trusted Church of St. Barbara Tony McKenzie's home church since he moved to Vista City. A largely Irish and Italian congregation. *'Father Micheal Flynn --' Fightin' evil in a clueless Irish rebel sort of way. Father Flynn was one of those physically lifted from his feet during the Healing Wave. CDF Church of the Blessed Madonna Latino Parish *'Father Medvil --' Also in the know. Like a priest in VC could not be? Father Medvil was bathed in a nimbus of holy light in the Healing Wave. His bad back isn't anymore. '' In the Know, semi-trusted'' Church of St. Silicon, Our Lady of Perpetual Upgrades The most modern of the local Catholic churches. They employ technology in the mission of the Church at every chance. It gets tisked at by the more traditional churches. *'Father Paul Robbins --' A progressive and rationalist priest of African decent. He was among the lifted from his feet in the Healing Wave. Father Robbins has quietly been doing miracles since. In the Know, semi-trusted. St. John's Church of the Holy Resurrection Attached to an order of Capuchin brothers that do local charity work including a soup kitchen. This church is usually broke and is in the worst part of town. It has gained notoriety as the site of the Samantha Deering Murder. *'Abbot Louis Barins --' Head of the Capuchin order. A quiet man of humble ways. He was bathed in a nimbus during the Healing Wave. The two missing fingers on his left hand are no longer missing. In the Know, semi-trusted *'Father Nicolais Marcola --' The kind of guy you expect to play a priest in a movie. Experienced Angel song, and has discarded his glasses. In the Know, trusted. Bureau File The Church is mostly an ally and an occasional source of a problem. Agents are urged to treat well with the members of the clergy or various orders. The Church does have some knowledge of magic, however it can vary vastly from individual to individual. The Holy See has not been forthcoming or open about any blanket knowledge of magic or miracles by the yard. The Church is extremely hard on the very idea of miracles. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in every function looks to be the Vatican equivalent of the Bureau itself. An older and more savvy version with the weight of Church doctrine behind it. We are all for anyone that makes our job easier. Category:Groups Category:Religion Category:Supernatural Category:Politics